Three-way switch



March 7, 1939. c. F. JAMES ET AL THREE-WAY SWITCH Filed Nov. 9, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 sA/vuEL 0 6) March 7, 1939.

C. F. JAMES ET AL THREE-WAY SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1956Ill/lg 4 N m m C M Patented Mar. 7,' i939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICETHREE-WAY SWITCH Charles F. James and John H. Buckley, Beards Fork, andSamuel Dlmltuckley, Alloy, W. Va.

Application November 9, 1536, Serial No. 109,956 4 Claims. (Cl. 260-998)This invention relates to three-way switches, corners the upstandingelectro-magnets H, these and has for one of its objects the productionof a magnets ll being arranged in triangular formasimple and efiicientthree-way switch having the tion, as illustrated clearly in Figures 1and 3.

contact arms thereof arranged in radiating tri- Adjacent eachelectro-magnet II is mounted an angular relation for contact withterminals also upstanding terminal bracket l2, each upstanding" arrangedin triangular relation whereby when one terminal bracket l2 carrying aterminal shoe I3 contact arm is movedtoacontacting position the which isremovably secured to the bracket l2 other arms will be positively liftedor moved to through the medium of securing bolts I4, so that an open orcontact-breaking position. the shoe I3 may be replaced when desired. A

A further object of this invention is the proconducting wire I5 iselectrically connected to 10 duction of a three-way switch, theradiating arms each magnet H, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, of whichare provided with yieldably mounted these wires [5 leading to a commonterminal '16, contact fingers so constructed as to prevent the whichterminal may be connected in any suitformation of an arc when contact ismade by able or desired manner to accnvex electrical lead.

16 providing a wiping or rocking contact between Each magnet H is alsoconnected to its com- 18 the contact fingers and their respectiveterminals. panion terminal bracket l2 by means of a con- Another objectof this invention is the producting wire ll, asclearly shown in thedrawing. duction of a three-way switch having a plurality The insulatedbase plate l0 supports a cenof radiating arms connected at their innerends trally located upstanding tubular standard 18,

20 and rockably and releasably mounted so that which standard i8 islocated centrally of the 20 when one arm is in acontacting position theother group of magnets H, the, magnets ll being in arms will be liftedto an open position and whereother words grouped about the centralstandard by the arms may be rotated to a shifted position l8 and equallyspaced from each other and from Y so that access may be had to theoperating magthe standard. The standard i8 is preferably annets. choredto the base by meansof suitable anchor- 25 Other objects and advantagesof the present ing bolts l9 and the standard may be either supinventionwill appear throughout the following ported directly upon the base plateID or supspecification and claims. ported upon an additional insulatedplate 20, as

In the drawings:- shown in Figure 5. Figure 1 is a top plan view of thethree-way A three-way switch member ii is supported 30 switch; upon thestandard l8 and preferably comprises Figure 2 is a side elevation of thestructure three radiating arms 22 which arms are arranged shown inFigure 1; v in triangular relation, two of the arms being so Figure 3 isa top plan view of the three-way arranged as to extend to the oppositeside of the 3;, switch, showing the contact arms shifted to allowcentralaxis of the switch member 2| with reaccess tothe electro-magnets, .aportion of the 'spect to the remaining arm, as shown clearly in basebeing broken away; I Figure 1. The switch member 2! rests upon'theFigure 41s a side elevation of the switch whereupper end of the standardl8 and is normally held in all threeterminals are illustrated; firmlyupon the standard against accidental dis- Figure 5 is a longitudinalsectional view taken placement by means of a tension spring 23 which 40on line 5-5 Figure 1; is anchored at its lower end upon a pin 24 carriedFigure 6 is a fragmentary side view of one pornear the lower end of thestandard l8, the upper tion of the contact arm, certain portions thereofend of the spring being secured to the switch being shown in sectionincluding a portion of the member H, as at 25. The switch member 2| is45 supporting standard; preferably provided with av'depending collar 2545 Figure 7 is a top plan view of a portion of the which fits into theupper end of the hollow standswitch ar ard I8 and tends to hold the armagainst acci- Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section dentalshifting, the collar 26 also constituting a taken on line 8-8 of Figure3; and socket for the upper end of the spring 23. The

0 Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on standard l8 may, ifdesired, be provided with a line 9-9 of Figure 5. plurality of apertures21 to permit the tension of By referring to the drawings it will be seenthat the spring 23 to be adjusted. The standard l8 l0 designates thetriangular base plate which is carries a plurality of upstanding pins 28which expreferably formed of insulating material upon tend throughenlarged sockets 29 formed in which base plate It! is supported neareach of its switch member. 2|, the sockets being of suificient 55 sizeand shape to allow the g witch member to rock from side to side, asshowh'in Figure 6, without displacing the switch member 2i, the spring23 providing suflicient tension to prevent the switch member fromaccidentally'jum'ping off the upper end of the standard I8.

Each arm 22 is provided with a depending show portion at its outer endin a position to nor-'- mally overhang one of the magnets I I, aseparate magnet being provided in aligned position with respect to theouter end of the arms 22. Each arm 22 also carries upon its upper face apair of parallel spring fingers 3! which project outwardly with respectto the outer ends of the arms 22, and these fingers 3| carry upon theirunder faces laminated strips of metal 32 of high conductivity, such ascopper and the like, which, strips 32 are so-mounted as to allow thefingers 3! to freely flex through the medium of the crimped portion 33.A contact shoe at is carried by the outer end of each finger 3i and thisshoe 37 is preferably supported upon the inner end portion of eachfinger 35 through which the anchoring screws 38 pass for firmly holdingthe fingers 3i in engagement with the arms 22; It is importantto notethat the shoes 34 are provided with a rounded under face 39 to present arounded contact nose for engagement with the contact shoe l3 supportedupon its companion terminal bracket l2. Consequently, as the switchmember is swung to a contacting position, the

.rounded nose or underface 39 of the shoe 3% will provide a wipingcontact upon the upper face of the shoe l3 due to the shape of the shoe3d,

and the fact that the shoe 34 is flexibly supported, as described above.This will prevent the forming of an are at the point of contact betweenthe shoes Stand l3 both atthetime the contact is made and when thecontact is broken, a rocking action takingplace in each instance due tothe shape of the under face of the shoe 38 and the flexible supportingmeans of this shoe 341. This feature is of great importance in a switchof this character, particularly in view of the fact thatthe eliminationof all arcs and sparks at the point of contact.

As is shown in the drawings, the arms 22 are arranged in triangularrelation and are preferably three in number, the arms being so arrangedas to cause only one contact to be made I at a time and when one arm isthrownto a conthe rocking action of the switch member making itimpossible for more than one arm to provide an electrical contact. Theswitch member 25 is electrically connected to a terminal plate fit,which plate do is connected to a flexible conductor strip ti extendingto a clamp 62 carried by a supporting bracket 3 anchored upon the baseIt. A lead wire 6 3 is in turn connected to the bracket (33 to provide aterminal or leadout for the circuit, the terminal it providing theopposite side of the line. i

A suitable feed wire 55 is connected to each terminal bracket l? bybeing secured-'to' ofne of the securing bolts t of the intake bracketsl2,

which brackets it constitute intake gterminal posts, the wire 44 leadingto the supporting bracket 43 constituting, an outlet terminal and thebracket 43 constituting an outlet terminal post.

It should be understood that the parallel fingers 3i carried by each arm22 will provide a flexible contact means, each of the spring fingers 39carrying its own shoe 34, as described and illustrated.

The contact member 3|, as illustrated and as previously described, isnot only rockably mounted upon the upper end of the standard l8 but isremovably mounted theron so that the contact member may be lifted upfrom the pins 28 in order that the contact member may be positioned, asshown in Figure 3, the arms '22 extending in between the magnets ll,thereby facilitating access to the magnets for the purpose ofreplacenient, repair or adjustment.

The operation of the device is as follows:-'- As one magnet H isenergized, one of the arms 22 will be drawn down or attracted by themagnot from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown inFigure 6, this causing the contact shoes carried by the fingers iii ofthis arm to contact with its companion shoe is .carriedby the supportingbracket 52. When this action talres place, the rearwardly extending andradiating arms 22 of the switch member 26 will be elevated or movedupwardly away from the respectivecompanion contact shoes it, in this wayinsuring a contact only upon one arm, the other arms being positivelyand definitely lifted to a non-contacting or open position as will beoovious. In this way the respective magnets. ll may be selectivelyenergized to draw the'selected arm 22 to acontacting position and forthe reagroups of threes arranged in triangular relation, it will benoted that two of the armsare at all times extended'to the opposite sideof the central axis of the contact member with respect to the third arm,in this way providing the positive lifting action of two of the arms toan open position when the third arm is in a contacting positlon. This isprovided for through the rocking mounting of the switch member 2i uponthe standard it anddue to the wiping contact provided by the shoes 34,it should be understood also that'the danger'of forming an are at thepoint of contact will be eliminated and the sticking of the shoestd orthe shoes l3 will be eliminated by the flexible mounting of the shoes 3upon the arms -22,'a rocking action being provided for the shoestt bothat the time when the son that the arms are preferably arranged in shoesmove to a contacting position and also 55 vwhen the shoes are moved to acircuit-breaking position. r 7

It should be understood that the current will enter through one of thewires '55 to one of the brackets l2, through one of the leads ll, thro ih one of the magnets ll out through one of t e leads it to the terminaland then to the negative side of the line. The enlarged depending end363 of one of the arms 22 will be attracted by this energizing magnetlicensing the contact of its shoes 35 with the shoes 53 of the bracket52, and the current through the medium of contact will pass through thearm 22 of the switch mom er 2!! and out through the members at, ill andline 35. The other'magnets may be E'G selectivelyenergized for causing aselective contact for the other arms.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanicalconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts may he emig I usHaving described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A switch of the class described comprising a base, a supportingstandard carried by said base, a contact member having-a plurality ofextending arms, a plurality of parallel spring fingers carried by andextending outwardly from the outer end of each arm in side by siderelation to each other, flexible conducting strips extending from thearms under the spring'fingers and secured to the arms and the fingers, ashoe carried by the outer end of each finger and having a rounded noseupon its lower face to provide wiping contact, electro-magnetscooperating with said arms for swinging the arms to a contactingposition, and intake terminals adapted to contact with said shoes, theshoes because 01' said spring fingers and its shape providing aiwipingcontact with the intake terminal.

2. A switch of the class described comprising a base, a supportingstandard carried by said base,.a contact member rockably carried by saidstandard and having a plurality of e tending arms, a plurality ofparallel spring fingers extending from the outer end of each arm,flexible abase,astan dardcarried conducting strips extending under thespring fingers, a shoe carried by the outer end of each finger andhaving a rounded nose upon its .lower face to provide wiping contact,electro-magnets cooperating with said arms for selectively swinging thearms to a contacting position, an intake terminal adapted to contact,with each shoe, each shoe because of its spring fingers and its shapeproviding a wiping contact with the companion intake terminal, and eachshoe having a transverse rib upon its upper face abutting against theouter end of the cooperating strips, and fingers tor. holding the shoein proper alignment.

3.' A switch or the class described comprising by said base, a pluti'onaronndsaid standard, a contact member radiating'armsextendinginh'i-oangular relation with respect to each other, said standard havingupstanding pins at its upper end, said contact member having enlargedapertures for receiving said pins whereby the contact member may berocked upon said standard and at the same time be held againstaccidental displacement, spring means for yieldably holding said contactmember stationary extending longitudinally in the standard and havingits upper ,end secured to the contact, an anchor for the lower end ofsaid spring, adjustably carried by the standard, an intake terminallocated adjacent each magnehmeans ,carried by each arm -,for forming acontact with one of the selected intake terminals'as one of the selectedmagnets is energized, said contact member having a depending collarfitting within said standard for allowing free rocking. movement of thecontact member upon the standard, and at the same time preventinglateral displacement of the contact member with respect to the standard.

4. A switch of the class described comprising a base, a hollow centrallylocated standard carried by said base, a plurality of electro-magnetsgrouped about said standard in triangularrelation, a contact member.rockably supported upon the upper end of said standard, a coil springcon-'- nected to said contact member and e down into said standardlongitudinally thereof, openings being formed in walls of the standardand spaced from each other longitudinally thereof for adiustablyanchoring the lower end oi said spring within said-standard foryieldably holding said contact member against displacement upon theupper end of the standard, said anchoring means consisting of a pinengaged by the spring and extending transversely through the standardand engaged in selected ones of the openings, means for anchoring thecontact member against lateral shitting, intake terminals carried by thebase, and contact means carried by said contact member for contactingwith said intake terminals. 1

